San Francisco Bay Area Fraternal Order of Police
Fraternal Order of Police
San Francisco Bay Area Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #17
Post Office Box 2221 - Oakland, California 94621-0121
Phone: 510-483-8858
Clayton A. Harmston – President
President’s Report – October 14, 2021
Brothers and Sisters of Lodge 17,
I hope your summertime with family and friends has been well spent, even as we all navigate the continuing COVID-19 restrictions. I always look forward to this time of year with the change in the weather and the fall colors. It is incredible how fast the holiday season is approaching and how busy our schedules will become. As the end of the year is upon us, please take time to fill out your membership update and renewal form and get it back to secretary Wozniak with your check as soon as possible. Secretary Wozniak does a tremendous job for our lodge, and every year renewal time is a challenge.
Fellow lodge member Chahmal Kerow joined me this year for the 65th biennial FOP National Conference in Indianapolis Indiana. This trip to Indiana was Chahmal's first conference, and it was a pleasure to have him with me to represent lodge 17. The conference allowed us to connect with other California lodges and to network with lodges across the country. In his president's report, National president Patrick Yoes covered many issues that are affecting law enforcement nationally.
First, the good news, the FOP has grown its membership nationally to 356,983 with 2,193 lodges across the country. The legal defense plan has grown exponentially and covers 106,074 FOP members for civil, administrative, and criminal exposure. Now for some somber news. As of the conference date, since January 1, 2021, 128 officers have been shot, with 26 killed by gunfire. Of the 128 officers shot, 35 officers were shot in 27 ambush attacks. This is a dangerous time for law enforcement, with politicians and special interest groups driving the anti-police narrative. The national FOP has been at the forefront and is the leading voice for law enforcement that speaks for us. National Vice President Joe Gamaldi has been tireless in speaking to the media and getting our message out. I encourage you to subscribe to the National Fraternal Order of Police YouTube page.
The conference also focused on what we as an organization can do to support our members. A new organization, Survivors of Blue Suicide, dedicated to assisting families of police suicide, has been set up with the help of the FOP and Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.). Partnering with COPS to help this new organization get off the ground is another way to support the families and friends of police suicide. Please check out their website: www.survivorsofbluesuicide.org/ and consider supporting their efforts.
Supporting our members is at the core of our organization. We are fortunate to have disaster assistance available from our state lodge and the national lodge. Wildfires are now a yearly occurrence, and we have been able to assist lodge members affected by these disasters. The FOP looks out for its members by expanding legal defense. A new benefit of the legal defense plan offers coverage for retired law enforcement officers who carry concealed weapons. This option covers criminal and civil claims and is unlimited coverage for $75 a year! Please visit the FOP website and click on the legal defense tab to find out more.
I am looking forward to our general membership meeting on October 14, 2021, at Mary's Pizza Shack in Novato. Please consider joining us if you are able. Our meeting is an excellent opportunity to get to know new members and have a great lunch together. Please stay safe and keep our law enforcement officers in your thoughts.
Clayton Harmston – President SF Bay Area Lodge 17
Oro en paz, Fierro en guerra
Fraternal Order of Police
San Francisco Bay Area Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #17
Post Office Box 2221 - Oakland, California 94621-0121
Clayton A. Harmston – President
Since our last general membership meeting held on July 8th, 2021the SFBAFOP17 has regained some of the losses and recovered from difficulties from unfortunate and unprecedented results of the Covid-19 pandemic. Law Enforcement in general is still under attack from many directions and we are fortunate to have the Fraternal Order of Police in our corner to defend our rights and work towards equality and respect. The SFBAFOP17 thanks you for your continued support and enthusiasm for the FOP and the CAFOP and for the work that continues. The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest law enforcement labor organization on the planet with more than 355,000 members.
With this report you will find your 2022 Update and Renewal form and a self-addressed envelope for you to return your 2022 dues and information. Please send a $50.00 check (no increase for 2022) and the update form (even if your information remains the same) back to me as soon as you can so that your membership remains uninterrupted. Your membership in the FOP runs from January 1st through December 31st of any given year however during the first part of 2021 I received several (many) requests from members who failed to renew and then could not renew their FOP LDF or other insurance policies. You must be a current member of a local lodge of the FOP to qualify for the many benefits offered through the FOP.
Although you may have over two months to renew your FOP membership from the time you get this, like the DMV that sends registration renewal notices months in advance I suggest that if you plan on remaining a member of the SFBAFOP17 you renew as soon as you can (upon receipt) so that your membership renewal does not get lost in the “inbox”.
There are new benefits offered by the FOP that can be found at FOP.net. There is also a free FOP “app” available through your Google Play Store or Apple Store. Frequent updates to your available benefits are published on this app as well as current news and information from the National FOP.
Your Lodge President Clayton Harmston and member Chahmal Kerow attended the National Fraternal Order of Police Conference in Indianapolis Indiana representing Lodge 17. Many important fiscal decisions are made during this important conference and the National leadership of our order is elected. Taking time from their jobs and families to represent you shows the dedication that your SFBAFOP17 leadership possesses.
A member of CAFOP17 unfortunately lost his home in the Calder Fire which completely destroyed the town of Grizzly Flats in El Dorado County. I reached out to our member and I am currently assisting in obtaining financial aid as he lost everything in the fire. Escaping during the evacuation with only his truck and pet dogs, we are assisting him as much as we can through this unfortunate disaster. The CAFOP and the National FOP have disaster programs in place which are a part of the benefits of membership.
I hope that this finds you healthy and well and our next regularly scheduled general membership meeting is October 14, 2021 at Mary’s Pizza Shack in Novato. Although attendance is not mandatory you are invited to attend and meet the leadership of your SFBAOP17.
Until then I am available to you via e-mail and phone. That said, if I don’t answer the phone in person please leave a message with your phone number and I will get back to you.
Woz...
Michael J. Wozniak
Secretary and Trustee SFBAFOP17
Past President SFBAFOP17
